BP oil spill claim challenge heard by appeals court

New Orleans – An attorney for BP PLC alleges the company is being forced to pay inflated claims to businesses in connection with a 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill legal settlement. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday from Ted Olson asserting that in addition to inflated claims, the oil giant has also been forced to pay “fictitious” ones.

As noted in the report, a lower court refused to block payouts to businesses with claims that they lost money due to the massive oil spill. Attorney Samuel Issacharoff, who represents Gulf Coast residents and businesses stated BP was aware of the terms of the settlement and methods of administering payments.